SundaesChild:In other words, the pharmaceutical companies aren't making any money off them, so buy their drugs instead?

That's one of the reason. Another reason is subsidies. The reason sugar was substituted by HFCS is the corn subsidy industry and sugar tariffs. There's always more than one reason, but money is the major one.

It's like no one ever heard of Big Nutra, right? Where can I get on a piece of the " we don't have to prove it works, nor do we have to verify dosages, but just trust that this root will rewangify you"

For six months, he and his colleagues gave 250 adults with chronic lower back pain and degenerative osteoarthritis either 2,500 mg daily of glucosamine sulfate or a placebo. At the six-month and one-year marks, there weren't any significant differences among patients in the two groups. Both groups did seem to be helped by the placebo effect, which is common in pain patients, in which people apparently feel better simply because they are receiving treatment.

There is only ONE clinical study where glucosamine/chondroitin was shown to have any affect on joint health and the statistical benefits were within the margin of error. The snake oil industry jumped on it like Elmo on a 16 year old.

Ephedra works for weight loss and on asthma, but yeah, it's dangerous.

FYI, in 2010 there was a study that is making people back off on the effectiveness of glucosamine. Like a 'Maybe this isn't as effective as we thought.'

For six months, he and his colleagues gave 250 adults with chronic lower back pain and degenerative osteoarthritis either 2,500 mg daily of glucosamine sulfate or a placebo. At the six-month and one-year marks, there weren't any significant differences among patients in the two groups. Both groups did seem to be helped by the placebo effect, which is common in pain patients, in which people apparently feel better simply because they are receiving treatment.

I hadn't been to the gym in ten days (Thanksgiving and whatnot) and my back was hurting.

I went to the gym and did stretches, lat push downs and pull downs, and ab work, among other things. My back felt pretty good afterwards, and a soak in the spa couldn't have hurt.

LoneWolf343:ladyfortuna: Uhh, ephedra is so regulated, because they forced all the manufacturers to replace it with something else. Metabolife was in interesting experiment, back when I was just out of highschool.

/I blame my ex and his constant search for weight loss remedies

He sounds fat.

At this point, yes, but at the time he was just a couple of years out of high school after having played football, so he hadn't toally adjusted to eating less and was pudgy on top of muscle. Last I saw he was outright fat though.

/srsly. my gf makes me take it when i start to look/sound sick and i just want to know.

It works to help zinc uptake by your immune system but it doesn't work when you're sick. You have to take it before you get sick. Same with Vitamin C. It sort of helps but only if you're well. If you are already sick Vitamin C in large doses wrecks your kidneys. [not getting citations cause I'm sick but I do remember these studies ]

1000 Ways to Dye:It's a couple years old, but here's a cool infographic on the various supplements and the amount of evidence that supports their claims.

Link

I like that chart. I'd move Aloe up though. I have been using it as a facial cleanser since I was 16. I am 41 now. I get carded all the time. I get carded when other people at my table who are my age or younger are passed over. Aloe Vera is awesome for skin care.

Glucosamine was recently upgraded to an "A" rating for osteoarthritis of the knee by Natural Standard (generally considered to be the most important natural health products resource among health care professionals).

They consider an "A" to be:

Statistically significant evidence of benefit from >2 properly randomized trials (RCTs), OR evidence from one properly conducted RCT AND one properly conducted meta-analysis, OR evidence from multiple RCTs with a clear majority of the properly conducted trials showing statistically significant evidence of benefit AND with supporting evidence in basic science, animal studies, or theory.

wiredmaverick:Glucosamine was recently upgraded to an "A" rating for osteoarthritis of the knee by Natural Standard (generally considered to be the most important natural health products resource among health care professionals).

They consider an "A" to be:

Statistically significant evidence of benefit from >2 properly randomized trials (RCTs), OR evidence from one properly conducted RCT AND one properly conducted meta-analysis, OR evidence from multiple RCTs with a clear majority of the properly conducted trials showing statistically significant evidence of benefit AND with supporting evidence in basic science, animal studies, or theory.

My MIL gives it to her old dog, and he seems to do better on the days he gets it. Pretty sure he's not operating under the placebo effect...

Fano:Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom: SundaesChild: In other words, the pharmaceutical companies aren't making any money off them, so buy their drugs instead?

Idiot

It's like no one ever heard of Big Nutra, right? Where can I get on a piece of the " we don't have to prove it works, nor do we have to verify dosages, but just trust that this root will rewangify you"

THIS

Imply that your nutraceutical does something, but never state it outright.Foreign-sounding words and magic ingredients are crack to the yoga-loving pseudo-hippie chicks at Sprouts and Whole Foods. If they want to take something home and pretend it's good for them, it should be me.